The announcement during yesterday’s Super Mario Maker 2Direct presentation that Nintendo is offering a new digital deal to Nintendo Switch Online subscribers has met with mixed opinion and a little confusion. Some fans have reacted with dismay that it’s a digital-only promotion and the savings tend to vary wildly depending on the games you choose and the region you’re in. On the other hand it’s something of a first for Nintendo. Discounts on games that have yet to be released? For a company that traditionally reduces its software prices only very rarely - and usually was part of a budget 'Player's Choice' line - this is big news.

If you missed the announcement, here’s a quick recap: Switch owners with a paid membership to the console's online service – the snappily titled Nintendo Switch Online – are now able to buy a pair of 'Game Vouchers' which can be redeemed for a selection of Nintendo-published games both old and new (or even unreleased). Prices vary according to region, with a pair of vouchers costing £84.00 / €99.00 / $99.99. Vouchers can be redeemed separately and expire 12 months after purchase, so you can wait for up to a year if there’s nothing you fancy (or don’t already own) in the current line-up.

There are some caveats to bear in mind, though. You will need to have an active subscription to redeem the vouchers, and users of the 7-day free trial also can’t buy them (you must be a fully-fledged NSO subscriber). Of course, you’re out of luck if you prefer physical carts, too; this promotion is digital-only.

Using this scheme, UK gamers could end up making some significant savings, especially if they’re new to the console and choose their games cannily. For example, The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild is £59.99 at the time of writing, as is Super Smash Bros. Ultimate. That makes a combined total of £119.98, meaning that purchasing them using Game Vouchers nets you a saving of £35.98. You also earn Gold Points as you do with any other eShop purchase, giving you 5% (or £4.20) to spend on the next thing you buy from Nintendo's digital store.

There's no denying the quality on offer.

Those games are the two most expensive currently in the 'programme' (as it's called in the UK), and therefore inflate the savings. If you want to get the very best value for money, you’d be wise to avoid £39.99 titles such as Fitness Boxing, The World Ends With You: Final Remix and 1-2-Switch. However, even with games that cost £49.99, you’re making a saving of £7.99 on each title’s RRP, and that includes Mario Maker 2. A launch discount for a first-party Nintendo title? That's unheard of.

The savings in the US are a little less impressive, with price variations also reducing discounts somewhat in comparison to other territories. While Smash Bros. costs $59.99 and £59.99 in those respective territories, Mario Maker 2 is $59.99 in the US but £49.99 in the UK. There are still savings to be had, though. There’s also some confusion as to how much of a going concern this will be, with the Nintendo of America website highlighting that it's a limited time offer:

Fans with a paid Nintendo Switch Online membership can purchase a pair of Nintendo Switch Game Vouchers for just $99.99 through July 31, 2019.

We contacted Nintendo UK who confirmed that there are no plans to end this offer and that the July limit applies specifically to the US; as suggested by the ‘Game Voucher Programme’ name on these shores, this looks to be continuing indefinitely. Presumably Nintendo of America's differing approach is down to the company being keen to avoid upsetting retailers in any way. As noted in the Nintendo Life office, there sadly aren't many retailers left in the UK to upset.

Ultimately, for gamers it’s a discount on first-party Nintendo games – including ones that are yet to release – so anybody who’s gone digital this generation will want to look carefully at the list for any titles they might have missed over Switch’s first two years. Couple the first-party output with some select third-party developed games like the upcoming Astral Chain and Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3: The Black Order, and we imagine most readers would be able to pick out at least two games that would make the promotion worthwhile, especially in the long run.

When viewed alongside the current ‘Go Digital’ sale on eShop, this makes it absolutely crystal clear that Nintendo is keen to double down on the benefits and cost-saving that digital distribution offers. We’re still a long way from physical carts going away – Nintendo’s audience perhaps more than any other video game company's skews younger and the ability to trade in games and give physical gifts is especially important to that demographic, not to mention vast swathes of gamers for whom internet connectivity is an ongoing, persistent issue or who simply prefer to have physical media on the shelf. The company won't be leaving those gamers behind any time soon.

Warning: don't lick it... You licked it, didn't you. Stop that.

However, it does highlight how Nintendo is keen to push users who are able to go digital in that direction. More and more young players are now thoroughly accustomed to digital-only games - many of them have grown up with apps and a total lack of physical media. The nostalgia and attachment some of us have to ripping the wrapping paper from a fresh cartridge on our birthday doesn’t necessarily transfer to kids these days – arguably most would prefer a card with eShop credit that they can spend how they like.

So, while these savings might not be earth-shatteringly generous, especially when compared to deals on other platforms, this is a significant step for Nintendo given its history of fiercely protecting prices of its first-party games and avoiding sales for so long. Arguably, it brings a version of the 'Player's Choice' or 'Selects' line to the digital store, but includes a much larger range of games.

We'd still expect a cheaper line of boxed games to come along at some point, although the beauty of going digital only means you don't have to worry about shelves with a handful of ill-fitting budget-line boxes - hands up if you've got a couple of irritating silver spines spoiling your GameCube shelf. Anybody?

For Nintendo, this Game Vouchers programme displays characteristically slow progress, although it's a step in the right direction that digital-only gamers will want to investigate. We doubt it'll tempt any die-hard physical players to cross over to the 'dark side', but these aren't insignificant savings, especially on brand new releases. We'll have to wait to see if Nintendo of America bring the promotion back periodically, but it'll be tough to avoid grabbing at least one pair of these Vouchers over the coming months.

Do you think Nintendo's Game Vouchers offer good value for money?

Yes - every little helps and I'll definitely be buying a pair or two.It's not a terrible deal, although the discounts feel a bit measly.No - it would need significantly deeper discounts to hook me.Never. I'll never turn to the digital side. You've failed, your highness.

Feel free to share your opinion on the Game Voucher promotion in the comments below.

Gavin loves a bit of couch co-op, especially when he gets to delegate roles, bark instructions and give much-appreciated performance feedback at the end. He lives in Spain (the plain-y bit where the rain mainly falls) and his love for Banjo-Kazooie borders on the unhealthy.

It's not a terrific deal on older games that can likely be had cheaper in physical form, especially second-hand. For brand new games, though, this is a superb deal, and the competition isn't really offering anything like it.

If you're a digital-only gamer, the vouchers are a great deal. I bought four of them and will be using them on Mario Maker 2, Fire Emblem, Animal Crossing and Luigi's Mansion 3. That equates to $40 in savings.

It's a shame that Nintendo of America is looking to kill this program in July, but that's just like Nintendo of America to kill anything that is remotely consumer friendly. Club Nintendo anyone?

Since Nintendo ever-green first party games rarely go on sale for a discounted price, these vouchers aren't a terrible deal. Assuming the games you chose were both $60 you're saving 17% on your purchase. Honestly, you're better off just waiting until the annual Black Friday sale when these games go on discount for 40% or better.

"You will need to have an active subscription to redeem the vouchers,"

If that's actually true its complete BS and totally misleading.

You have to be a paid subscriber to buy them Makes sense.
Only available to buy until July 2019. Understandable.
You have 12 months to use them. Plenty of time.

But what if you got a 1 year subscription at Christmas 2018 and buy the vouchers now, say for Pokémon Sword and Luigis Mansion 3. Then LM3 doesn't release until Feb or March. 9 or 10 months after you purchased the "good for 12 months" vouchers but after your NO expires at Christmas? If they don't redeem the voucher you paid for and they said it's good for 12 months they should be sued if they make you sign back up for NO again to redeem it.

Really hope the article is wrong or everyone in the US should avoid this con in the making.

I just can’t bear to buy large first party titles as digital though, sure the indie titles but the value of the vouchers are geared towards favouring the most expensive titles so it doesn’t quite fit the bill for me.

It's ok, without being great, most new games retail for €60 in the eurozone but after a month or 2 usually get a discount to €45-50 in the stores and on Amazon. Still if you were planning on buying them on release day anyway it's €10.50 of a saving

I'd buy it without question if I could get Mario Maker 2 and then WAIT FOR ANOTHER BIG RELEASE for the second voucher, but as it stands, there isn't another game I want digitally before the end of July that I know of...

In January I got Splatoon 2 from the eShop for 30% off and bought Smash at full price (and physical). The eShop sales can sometimes offer similar value to these tokens with more freedom (when they happen that is).

I’m gonna buy at least a pair of vouchers, if not two. I still need to get Mario Deluxe, and Yoshi.... plus I plan on getting Fire Emblem and MUA3. Might have to get three bundles because I’m thinking I’ll probably want Astral Chain when it comes out, but def Luigi’s Mansion 3 and Animal Crossing as well. I’m so behind on Nintendo first party purchases this time around thanks to a never ending supply of indies and major 3rd party releases - next coming weeks will be filled buying 3 Res Evil games and Assassins Creed 3 (need to replace my Wii U version)

As someone who buys a healthy mix of digital and physical games, I might bite, if I end up having enough money to do so. I’m thinking about grabbing one and waiting for Pokémon Sword/Shield, as well as another title...maybe Animal Crossing or Luigi’s Mansion.

Since I buy games both digital AND physical, I’d want to use my vouchers on games I don’t mind having digitally. Smash Bros? I had to go physical. Mario Tennis? I didn’t care either way, so I did the “300 extra Gold Points” digital preorder offer.

All this is on the condition that I ever do buy a set of vouchers, which isn’t a guarantee. I’m sure it’ll be an alright deal if I do, though. Not a complete steal, but money saved is money earned.

You can buy all the released Switch games at Walmart for $49.99 so you save 2 cents and get them physically. As for Mario Maker 2 i can wait the two to three weeks it takes for Walmart to lower their price to $49.99. My backlog will keep me entertained for the two to three weeks/years.

They have Mario Maker 2 so i would say that any Nintendo game that comes up for preorder would be eligible @Mando44646. But right now it's only mario maker as it's the only Nintendo game you can preorder now on eshop. As for 3rd party games it's just already released games as of now.

If you don't already have an online subscription, I think it's a very poor deal. In that case the subscription eats up whatever you save on the games themselves. And I still can't think of a single reason why I would personally want to pay for an online membership. I think it's ridiculous that you can't move saves or game data between the internal storage and an sd card, though I bet it's to force people to pay up. I love my Switch, but I think Nintendo's online service is a greedy money grab

The mechanics of this offer just seem really clunky like they haven't been thought through properly, adding an icon in the store to games in the offer would be a step in the right direction, or just giving a discount to online members without the faff of vouchers. Or adding a multibuy discount if they want to drive volume (pre-orders included)

It's not good value due to only a select few being subject to Nintendo's extra high prices initially. The reality is that even with those they can be bought physically for only a little more money at worst, whilst many on the list can be bought significantly cheaper than the £84 asking price, even some on the store can be bought for less than £84. About £10 lower and this would have been a great and worthwhile deal but as it stands there's actually no guarantee you're even going to save any money. I mean even the next big release for pre order is Mario Maker 2 and that's only £40 on Amazon so there is literally nothing worthwhile at the moment

As an 80% digital gamer (20% physical if I can get a good enough store deal) this works in my favor, especially for the day one 1st party purchases.

Since I stock up on eShop cards only when they’re on sale at Newegg, PayPal, and eBay (ex. Buy $50, get $10 card free or $50 card for $42.50) I get 5% or 10% discount before I buy a game. Add in the 5% for gold coins and a step that saves me from paying 8.875% and I’m a happy gamer with more e-money to throw.

It's not really much of a deal for physical only, which is what I've done for all first party games I've wanted. Besides, it's pretty easy to find new releases cheaper than on the eshop on launch day in stores or online, and I save on sd card space for smaller indie games.

When it comes to new titles, it's an amazing deal. Getting Astral Chain and Fire Emblem for $99 instead of $120(add tax to that if you're buying physical) is awesome, you can't really argue otherwise.

As for older titles... It goes either way, Games like Octopath can be found cheaper, but some Nintendo 1st party titles still hover around the $50 mark, so getting two older titles for $45 a piece can be worth it. Depends on the game and retailer I suppose. Tax on physical titles works in favor of this voucher deal too.

So this is a weird zone. Here in the states, it works out that using it to redeem to full-price games ($60 each) nets you a discount total of $20. Which is the price of one year of Online Service. So it's kind of like a weird "buy stuff and one year of Online is free" deal kind of thing.

Except, you're not getting a $120 credit for $100, you're getting two vouchers that can only be used for a subset of games. And if your games are listed at $50 each instead of $60, you break even. Less than that and you're losing money. (And yes, some games on the list are less than $50)

And then there's the whole thing about it being certain titles that fall under a list; what if you pruchase vouchers in anticipation of using them for a game/games only to discover that your intended purchase never makes it on the list? And a worse possibility yet, what if things that go on the list are price cut or whatever so that using a voucher is a value-losing proposition until the usability window of the vouchers has closed, and then the price cut goes away and the cost jacks back up to full?

I'm sure at least some of this is paranoid hyperbole, but it's stiff I am thinking about and pondering over with regards to this program, and as a result, I don't think I'm buying I to it...

It’s an unbelievable value if paired with discounted eShop cards, and still a pretty good value otherwise (reckoning by US dollars). One set of vouchers pays off your yearly sub, plus gets $5 back. If you buy cards that get discounted to $42.50 every now and then, then you can end up paying about $85 for two brand new launch titles if you so choose. I’d like to see a retail deal beat that!

Presumably there will be a couple new pre-purchases added after E3, but it’s stupid that it ends so early in the US. I’ll probably end up buying a few sets though - I can easily think of six upcoming Nintendo-published titles that I’ll want, so it’ll be worth it.

Nintendo has your money locked up in a voucher! I mean people get all bent out of shape when they preorder a digital game and cannot return it. Those same people should be freaking out with this voucher nonsense. Fine print says, no money back for no reason at all.

Nintendo is throwing people a bone, but you would think it was filet mignon.
This voucher discount is average at best. Now If the discount was 50% or greater, then this would be very different.

Assuming that they keep letting these apply to new releases, it's great for digital if you don't want to bother with something like Best Buy's Club or the occasional Amazon pre-order deal.

But it's all a wash since there will be $10-$15 in DLC roughly a year after release, if all recent major first party releases (save for Odyssey, and I still see Delfino Isle on that early map) are anything to go by.

@AlphaEliteI don't think the end of July will be the last time we see this deal. I feel this is out to get people to buy Mario Maker with another game.

I bet they will release it again during the fall and holiday season, get people ready for the new games in the fall and Christmas rush. Would be cool to have physical vouchers (well gift cards for 2 games )

Want this thing to be a 'special savings' so I bet it'll be out a few times in the year

For new games especially the price drop resistant first party games this is great! If you can get your eshop credit on sale you get the digital coins and another discount on the purchase price. For those with cash back cards or anything like that you can really stack this and get new games cheap. Since my GCU is ending next month I shall get a few of these to push me into next year.

@Mando44646 The vouchers last a year, so yes future releases are included. Most of us that are excited are thinking about preorders.

It's in no way going to tempt me away from thinking that physical is the way to go on Nintendo. With this programme, I can pre-order Mario Maker and Fire Emblem for £84 digitally. Well I've pre-ordered them both physically from The Game Collection for £72 and they'll have good resale value for a long time to come. I'm literally not buying it.

No, it's not a con if you use them before your subscription is up, but do you really think it's ok to let people spend $35 on a 1 year family membership, then a few months later spend $99 on a voucher for two games, then to tell people 10 months later - sorry, we know we told you those vouchers but were good for 12 months, but if you want to use them FIRST you'll need to pay more money and sign back up for NO.

I'm sorry, but no way I'm ok with that. IF you have to be a member to buy them, AND you have to use them within 12 months, that's enough money already paid and time limitations, it is compeltly unnecessary and unethical to me to that willy-nilly add-om - oh, by the way, we said they were good for 12 months but it's really only as long as your membership holds out. That's just wrong to me, plain and simple. Only it isn't plain and a simple, more like, they are going above and beyond to maek it more complicated.

I have had many months of Amazon Prime over the years and ordered a bunch of games w/ Prime that were delivered on release day w/ the 20% discount long after my Prime expired. I think I had FFXV pre-ordered for like 2 years.

Nintendo should pick one, either:

the vouchers are good for as long as you are a paying subscriber

or

the vouchers are good for 12 months

There is no reason to say "Good for 12 months" then tack on "as long as you are still a subscriber". It's not needed.

I'll go back and edit my previous post, it's not "a con", it's "unnecessarily complex to the potential detriment of the consumer". Why write con when I can write all that?

I normally like to buy games physically due to limited storage space but I think I can make an exception for Super Mario Maker 2 and Animal Crossing; two games that would benefit from the pickup and play digital copies. The discount is also definitely nice though not anything too amazing

@Ralizah This is the only point that matters and oddly the one that's being the least discussed. I've seen a number of articles and tons of fans complaining about games going on sale for other systems more often, etc, but that doesn't matter. This offers an unprecedented, phenomenal deal on brand new full priced games and no is doing that any more. Amazon did it with their preorder discount and Best Buy did it with their Gamers Club, but both got cancelled because they lost too much money on the deals. Now Nintendo is offering a HUGE reason for any Switch owner who likes to or is willing to buy digital to subscribe to Nintendo Switch Online. If you already have NSO, it's a no brainer if you don't mind digital. Big savings. If you don't have it and intend to buy two Nintendo published games in the next 12 months, may as well buy a year of NSO and get the voucher and you got the year for free, then.

It’s a good deal but I’ve bought the big priced games I want, for now. If Pokemon and animal crossing are in this then why not? It feels kind of pre-ordery slapping down money early which, I’m not a fan of usually, but it’s a saving (instead of random canvas bag style junk) and you can still wait for reviews so I wouldn’t say it’s really a pre order.

@ReaderRagfish I just swung by amazon, and most 1st party titles are selling for $50. A couple for $40, and Mario + Rabbids is $30. This seems like a deal exclusively aimed at digital-only buyers, as all rewards from Nintendo have been this generation 🤷‍♂️

@Hikingguy I mean. There's a slight difference. These vouchers could be used on any first party game. You can wait and read reviews. You can use them on games you've been wanting, but haven't purchased yet. You're basically just betting that Nintendo will release two first party games you'll want in the course of a year. For a lot of folks, that's a pretty sure thing, especially with pokemon coming out.

"The savings in the US are a little less impressive, with price variations also reducing discounts somewhat in comparison to other territories. While Smash Bros. costs $59.99 and £59.99 in those respective territories, Mario Maker 2 is $59.99 in the US but £49.99 in the UK."

This is a wholly inaccurate conclusion. Mario Maker isn't more expensive in the US, it's just that Smash Bros was wildly over priced in the UK.

Smash cost 59.99 pounds. At current exchange rates, that equals 76.78 US dollars. That means UK gamers paid an extra $16.79. Mario Maker 2 is 49.99 pounds which is $63.78 US dollars, meaning even that is over priced.

The UK voucher costs 84.99, right? The voucher costs $99.99 in the US. 84.99 translated to USD equals $108.76, so even the voucher itself is over priced.

If you picked up two games on the UK voucher for 49.99, that's a total of 99.98. A savings of 14.99. US savings for two standard priced games is $19.99

14.99 pounds to USD is $19.18. So the savings is worse.

So.... The voucher costs more in the UK. All games cost more. And the amount between voucher and standard game price saved is smaller.

I already got all of the games I wanted at better discounts than this. Even if great games are announced at E3, I'll probably get better pre-order discounts from retailers like I have in previous years. It's better than nothing I guess, and maybe it will entice some new Switch owners looking to pick up a couple games to become subscribers, but I don't think it's going to generate much excitement for the subscription service for anyone that's been holding out or get used by most of us that are already subscribers.

Also this is a FANTASTIC deal (for me at least). Nintendo said that the vouchers expire within a year so that means you can buy them now then use them for Mario Maker 2 and later Animal Crossing or Luigi's Mansion 3.

@SpentAllMyTokens The way you described it, these vouchers seem like even more of a risk than I originally thought compared to a simple pre-order for a digital game.
Have you read Nintendo's fine print? Basically if you do not use them for any reason whatsoever, you cannot get your money back. If you bought them in error, if you forget about it, if your membership expires, if you use one voucher and not the other because you are holding out for that one game that ends up being delayed....Nintendo keeps your money and you get nothing.
And on top of that, Nintendo holds onto your money while you are waiting for those two special games, instead of you. What if an emergency comes up and you could really use that $99. But I bet Nintendo is making a good amount of money on the float.

On a side note, people should always wait and read the reviews before buying any digital or physical game. I have been burned too many times in the past on bad games.

@iRiS Upcoming games I personally want just this year on Switch Mario Maker 2, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Astral Chain, Luigi's Mansion 3, Animal Crossing, Pokemon Sword and Shield, The Legend of Zelda Link's Awakening, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3. That's ten games right there. While I won't be picking them all up this year, theoretically, if I got five vouchers.. that would be $25 USD in gold points and $100 savings. Definitely a deal.

I chose the last option of the poll, but I'm ok with having digital games as well, I'm not ok on paying full price for those though, why it's the same price as retail? At least on retail you get the box, which is still cool. Great deal if you're a digital-only guy, these vouchers, otherwise is not worth it.

This is one of the best deals for digital day one full retail titles in the history of video games.

That’s not just my opinion, that’s objective fact.

Not once has a full $60 titles this generation launched where you can buy the digital versions for 20% off day one (gold coins on voucher purchase add another $5 off, and if you buy the $100 eShop credit at Target using Redcard, the discount increases from 20% off to 25% off). And certainly not for Nintendo first party titles.

People are free to take advantage or not take advantage. Many will still prefer physical (although even with physical, the almighty BestBuy GCU 20% discount cant even top this deal for day one first party Nintendo titles). And that’s fine. But there’s no denying we have never seen a sale this good for day one full price releases... ever.

I’ll be buying these vouchers by the dozen (that’s not hyperbole- I’m literally going to buy a dozen of them). We’ve got at least that many coming that release by July 2020:

@JaxonH I just want to point out before they dropped the benefit for years amazon prime offered 20% off all preorders of any game and release day delivery. At best this is an extraordinarily limited version of that with all kinds of restrictions. Even then steam and gog very often offer release day discounts on games usually 10-15% off and you don't have to have any kind of subscription for it. So it's really not some amazing deal with the whole industry is looked at.

@Yorumi
I remember the Prime discount. I never really took advantage because I always had GCU (and still do until March 2020). Unfortunately that program is gone with the wind.

This is definitely limited. No question. But for the games that are eligible it’s a phenomenal deal.

But you can’t really compare PC gaming prices to console gaming prices. They’re just... not equal. Since this is for console gaming we look at it in comparison to other console game prices and sales, and in particular we should be looking in comparison to Nintendo Switch sales specifically for a true pound to pound comparison, and there’s just nothing that compares to it. The best you can get nowadays is GCU, if you’re lucky enough to still have it for these final few months. This deal is just as good as that, and GCU is widely acknowledged as a phenomenal deal, The best you can get really. So let’s call it what it is. It’s a fantastic deal. It’s limited and it’s not a permanent thing, but the discount is incredible. Specially for digital day one console games, for which prices tend to skew much higher.

Take advantage while you can (if you like digital of course, which goes without saying), because people definitely won’t be getting these games cheaper than this day one.

Your the 3rd person to say that @PhilKenSebben . But to be honest i thought all Walmarts did this. I have noticed that games on Walmart.com are usally $5 more than my local Walmarts but i just assumed that was because they wanted to get you in the door to buy other stuff. But every game even Yoshi is $49.99 or less. But i'll take it as it's about the only thing i've got going for me living in Kentucky.

I think it's a good deal for those who buy digital games.However, buying something digitally in general is a far worse deal than buying it physically. At least, in my country, you can easily sell your copy after you're done with it, close to retail price. (Even if you sell it years later, you'll still get much more money back than what you can save here.)

I liked the deal they did for 3ds and Wii u a while back where if you owned and registered (2/3) games on the list you got to pick one from the same list for free. Got wonderful 101 on Wiiu and animal crossing on 3ds! Bring this deal back for switch!

I’d say it’s an ok offer if you are digital only, but that’s only because the eShop pricing for Nintendo games are poor. If you will buy physical then it’s easy to get titles far cheaper than this promotion offers.

Here in AU they’re charging $135 for this promo. Pretty much any Switch game, first party or not, can frequently be had for $60 or less and pretty much any new release will have introductory pricing at that level across multiple retailers. As such for this promotion to actually net a gain you’d need to be buying older releases and doing so when any number of retailers aren’t running sales and not be prepared to import. Otherwise at least through retail channels you can probably get any 2 of the titles on this list for under the $135 AUD they’re charging quite readily.

If you are 100% committed to digital then this promotion makes sense, it that’s less about this promo offering great value but the first party eShop titles being over priced, particularly compared to retail channels.

If you don’t want two games right away you’re also locking your money away in the hope titles you want get added. In contrast other systems would offer straight discounts on games with no need to bank credit.

Some people are talking about stocking up because the vouchers are only available until June. I’d be weary that post June they may not add many new titles to the program, so I’d probably caution against jumping in like that if your banking for future games. If they planned to continually add titles there’s no reason they’d cease selling the tokens.

"more young players are now thoroughly accustomed to digital-only games - many of them have grown up with apps and a total lack of physical media. The nostalgia and attachment some of us have to ripping the wrapping paper from a fresh cartridge on our birthday doesn’t necessarily transfer to kids these days"

Wow I feel old, sounds like the kids of yesteryear had pretty depressing childhoods

@Deltath I dont know about the US savings being worse but I can easily get Mario Maker for £39.99 at retail and many of these games for similar prices. Actually about half of those on the list are under £40 on the eshop and would cost me less than £35 each at retail, so this is pretty poor value unless I really want Zelda and Smash digitally for no apparent reason.

This thing about well the vouchers are valid for 12 months is nonsense too, surely if you've paid for them they should be valid until you use them. Then you have to factor in that we don't even know the price points for these future games that may be on the list and whether it'll actually be good value

I'm a bit less eager to get into these knowing that the US is so flimsy about it. I like the idea of it, but only if I can use the vouchers for future releases. Right now I have most of the games I really want, but Mario Maker 2, FE, AC etc I would totally have time for.

Don't forget games go on sale. Last month Breath of the Wild went -30% = £41.99 UK or 419 SEK Swedish (exchanged to around £34.50 at the time). Super Mario Odyssey / Xenoblade 2 went -33% = £33.29 UK or 354.43 SEK Swedish (exchanged to around £29 at the time).

And the big name games have gone on this same discount multiple times previous to this.

@carlos82 In the US, AAA games are always $59.99. And they won't go on sale for quite some time in any territory. Even if you can't be sure of exactly what the price point is in the UK, there will definitely be new games at the 49.99 price point or higher. You can bet on that. As for expiring.. yeah. I mean, it's standard practice to make almost every kind of gift card-like item expire, but that doesn't mean it isn't still b***s***.

@Deltath there definitely will be on the eshop but at retail you won't see any over £49.99 and with some £10 lower like last years Pokemon games which were £39.99 and for us that includes tax. What struck me was the direct saying I could save around £26 on Mario Maker and Smash yet a quick look on Amazon shows I can get them for £85 combined anyway. Also most will already have Smash and/or Zelda as the 2 premium priced games and frankly many of the games on the list shouldn't even be due to being less than half the price of the vouchers. Some people will save a little money, more so if they happen to be buying most of the new games and depending upon region or local retailers. For me I may save money if Luigi's Mansion and Pokemon/Animal Crossing launch at £49.99 at retail but essentially I have to gamble on that prospect and whether I'll definitely be saving money. Not to mention it doesn't make sense to me to buy games now that won't even be out for several months. As always I feel Nintendo is leaving money on the table here as I doubt that these vouchers will sell in huge numbers and at just a little less, a lot more people would have been tempted

I think the deal is pretty average overall, digital and possibly still as cheap to buy elsewhere. But I guess the people who don't mind digital and can make a saving then that's good. I think the real loser here is the retailers like, game, gamestop, amazon, etc. they never had an issue with competing against Nintendo before.

It looks like an offer that you could choose a Wii U game among ten or so (I got The Wind Waker HD for free) but now instead of getting freebies you pay for the Switch online service AND for getting two vouchers that will save you little money and also expire. Only Nintendo could have done this without everyone saying that it's pure rubbish.

Currently, the UK free market allows me to buy games day one in physical form for much cheaper than Nintendo charges for its digital (and physical) versions. I can also trade in the physical games at the end of the console's life to make buying a new console cheaper.

It's okay if you're digital only; you will get some discounts. However, I'd be wary of buying vouchers for games that only might be added to the line-up. What if games get delayed and your vouchers run out? Best to wait until they are redeemable before you buy. A bit unfair on US customers who have to buy them before July, although the US free market is less free than the UK market, so it's more likely that the vouchers will still save you money against future retail games.

@carlos82 Well, and that's partially my point. This article claims that the deal is worse for those in the US, yet that's so resoundingly false it's almost comical. The voucher is nearly $10 USD cheaper in the US and all Nintendo published Switch games have launched at $60 with four exceptions. Captain Toad and Sushi Striker, which the former was a Wii U port with a $30 3DS port and the latter being a $40 3DS game with only a little remastering. Then Dragon Quest Builders, which was a slightly older PS4 port of a good but simplistic game. And then 1, 2 Switch, which should have been a pack in. All of the 15+ currently announced Nintebdo published titles on the way will be $60 in the US. And that's digital as well as retail. There's no chance they'll be lower. In some cases they'll be a tad more expensive than their UK counterparts, in others a little less (and sometimes randomly an outrageous amount less, like with Smash and Zelda).

Really, it just comes down to the fact that the deal is ALWAYS nearly 20% off the cost in the US and it has a further enticing factor over retail with offering $5 cash back for the digital voucher (physical retail only offers $1 back, by comparison). So at the end of the day, you end up $24 ahead on digital over physical retail every two games. That's a substantial savings, especially if you plan to buy a lot of Nintendo games this year. Basically you save nearly $100 every 8 games.

While in the UK, the effectiveness gets hit on both ends with the voucher costing more and the games often being cheaper physical over digital. Which strikes me as a confusing problem. Digital should never be more expensive as far as standard pricing. By its very nature it should be cheaper. And while the deal could be good if the UK gets a couple more premium priced games like Smash and Zelda, that's not really for a good reason. We don't want to hope the UK randomly gets a new game grossly overpriced just so the voucher seems worthwhile.

Honestly, the best way around it if you want digital is probably just to buy the voucher on the US eshop and get them there. I have a number of different accounts in different territories to take advantage of that.

Oh, also, I think the idea of spending now for games later as an option can definitely be seen as a positive option if you know you want them. A lot of people in this world live paycheck to paycheck and have leaner months, especially in the fall or Christmas. And this part of the year, particularly the middle and end months of Q2 in the gaming world (April/May) generally have few to no major releases. And potentially lowered spending in other areas too. Spring for me is the cheapest time of year. Electric bill is at its lowest, no heating or air conditioning, more time spent in cost-free outdoor activities before it's too hot or too cold, etc.

And then Nintendo's last published game was Yoshi at the end of March and their next is Super Mario Maker 2 in late June.

So.. point is, people could pick up a voucher or three now when spending is at its lowest and no games are on the horizon then come this mid summer-fall when Switch will be seeing releases in rapid succession of Mario Maker 2, Dragon Quest Builders 2, Fire Emblem: Three Houses, Astral Chain, Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, Luigi's Mansion 3, Animal Crossing, Pokemon Sword and Shield, Daemon X Machina, Dragon Quest XI, Town, The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening. Then grab a few without spending money then. And at a nice discount from the start.

@Sakura The voucher is nearly $10 USD more expensive in the UK than the US to begin with and 99% of US AAA games release at that set price point of $60 (or 47 pounds). And with the 1% cash back for physical games versus the 5% back on digital, every voucher definitively puts you $24 ahead in the US buying digital with the vouchers over physical. And with Nintendo having 15+ published games at the minimum in the next 12 months, if you're interested in any volume of them in pairs, it's absolutely no risk picking up the vouchers. The prices are set and so is the savings.

That's really interesting that the time limit applies only to the US. That's....if this is a perpetual program elsewhere its' actually pretty cool despite my early criticism. If it's just a 2 month sale like in the US it's kind of dismal. Regional approach to multinational business is a joke. We're spoon fed "globalism!" but the consumer and worker only gets the negatives, the investors get the positives.

@JaxonH I think the comparison to PC gaming is fair because it highlights the problems with the way consoles are currently run. From a purely business standpoint I can't fault the console makers for the decision but from a consumer standpoint it's awful. The only real reason console game prices differ from PC is the monopolistic control over distribution the consoles have while PC is a highly competitive market. I don't really believe someone gets credit for doing something that in the most limited of situations looks decent solely because of the circumstances they themselves have created. They don't really get credit for fighting a fire that they started in the first place.

When you really consider it these vouchers only look good if you look ONLY at launch day purchases, only buy digital, ignore everything outside the console, only look at specific games, and only if you buy at least 4 games. That's a lot of restrictions when you get down to it. Basically they lit a forest fire and expect praise for getting out a garden hose to fight it.

Dunno if anyone has mentioned this, but the lineup of voucher compatible games seems to be quite different in the UK. The image above shows Marvel Ultimate Alliance 3, which isn't on offer in the United States. Womp Womp

@Yorumi
I'm not really concerned with "Nintendo getting praise" or not, or how many restrictions there are. Especially since its good on all 1st party published titles, which are typically the ones people care about most on Nintendo consoles anyways.

All I care about is how this affects me. And its saving me $15 game for like 12 games. I couldn't be more thrilled, as that's the deepest discount I've ever gotten for digital games day one, on any platform. $300 total saved thanks to this voucher program and their coins program. But if people think they can get a better deal elsewhere they're free to try. I seriously doubt these games will be found for less though, be they digital or physical

@JaxonH I don't disagree it's good for you and good for some other people. It's more a reason that many people do tend to pass up Nintendo. A lot of people buy used, some physical games are cheaper, and a number of people might like nintendo games but figure it's not worth the nintendo tax. It's somewhat more of a meta discussion rather than how it affects specific people.